Coronavirus: new outbreak in South Korea

Text by: Stéphane Lagarde Follow

The epidemic seemed to be stabilizing in the country, the third most affected behind China and Italy. But she may well leave. The center for the prevention and control of infectious diseases in Seoul reports 131 new infections with COVID19 for this Monday, March 9th against 248 for Sunday. This Tuesday the figures could be higher with the discovery of 150 new infections, including employees of a call center in the South Korean capital.

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From our special correspondent in Pusan,

A new outbreak of coronavirus and it's a whole skyscraper that white coveralls are forced to disinfect. The call center is located on the 11th floor of the Sindorim residential and office district in the south-west of Seoul, the station of which sees 450,000 passengers per day.

The 207 employees of this customer service department of an insurance company housed in the same building were quarantined. According to company management, the latter were allegedly encouraged to wear a mask even when answering the phone. This was probably not done by some of the employees, according to South Korean media.

Lunches without a mask

These new infections are worrying in a Korea which, unlike China, did not stop working during the epidemic. However, this kind of work environment is often synonymous with promiscuity and extended hours, with lunches taken on the go in front of the screen and therefore necessarily exposed.

In addition to offices and shops, the 19-storey tower and 6 basements has nearly 140 apartments for short stays. A health team of around thirty agents was dispatched to the site. Residents were asked to isolate themselves.

After the branch of a Christian sect in Daegu in the south of the country, the authorities fear that this skyscraper is another important " cluster ", knowing that reception rooms for banquets are on the ground floor , and that there was a wedding last week.

► To listen: South Korea: the coronavirus in the church

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• Coronavirus
• South Korea
• Health and Medicine

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